Heating assistance funding gap could mean cold winter

Saturday

Oct 27, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 27, 2012 at 12:05 PM

Despite the mild weather thus far this autumn, the people at Citizens for Citizens are thinking about the winter months ahead and how a gap in funding for fuel assistance could leave area residents in the cold.

Marc Larocque

Despite the mild weather thus far this autumn, the people at Citizens for Citizens are thinking about the winter months ahead and how a gap in funding for fuel assistance could leave area residents in the cold.

“If oil prices continue to rise and we have a normal winter there will be folks again not having access to heat come the middle of January, right after the holidays,” said Liz Berube, assistant director of the agency.

Citizens for Citizens helps provide heating fuel assistance for 20,000 households in the Taunton and Fall River area. Berube said this consists of mostly elderly residents.

The federal government is providing $3.47 billion in fuel assistance funds for the entire country, through a continuing resolution that was signed by President Barack Obama at the end of September.

Massachusetts is anticipating $132 million of that will serve about 200,000 households give or take some, Berube said, with about $10 million for the Taunton and Fall River area.

This was how much was allocated by the federal government last year, she said, but the amount had to be supplemented last year with $21.5 million from the state.

“What happened last year was a godsend that the state put money in,” Berube said. “Last year with price of oil so high in middle of winter at $4 a gallon, it did help. Otherwise, a lot of households in Massachusetts would have been without heat. The additional funds came at a great time when we clients needed another oil delivery.”

Berube said she and others are hoping the state will do the same again this year.

“We really hope so,” Berube said. “We haven’t heard anything about that. Usually, the Governor doesn’t start working on budget until first of the year.”
Berube said ideally the federal government would fund fuel assistance appropriately, as it did several years ago at $4.7 billion.

“What ends up happening is the cuts trickle right down to the client,” she said. “It’s all in the hand of the federal government. Unfortunately, it’s just like a waiting game for us. Will they put more money in it? Usually we have to roll with the punches. ... Most of our clients are elderly. We don’t want to tell them not to put on their heat. They’ll get cold and it’ll lead to sickness.”

Berube said three years ago typical benefits were around $1,500 per household, while now they are in the range of $180 to $750 for an entire winter. The amount fluctuates depending on how the home is heated, gross income and family size.

Berube said when there are funding shortages, there are Citizens for Citizens clients who go to the Citizens Energy oil heat program, founded by Joseph P. Kennedy II.

Attorney General Martha Coakley has urged quick release of heating assistance funds from the federal government for this year. Coakley said that the early release of funds would assist the state as it plans for the winter season.

Coakley said home heating costs are expected to rise, citing the Federal Energy Information Administration predicting a 20 percent increase for oil customers.

Coakley’s office said heating oil customers are expected to pay $3.80 per gallon on average this winter, costing $2,500 per household.

“This news could not come at a worse time,” Coakley said. “Families across Massachusetts and the Northeast have continued to cut back on essential services through these tough economic times in order to address increasing home heating, electric and gas bills.”

The Citizens for Citizens heating fuel assistance program begins on Nov. 1. For more information, go to www.cfcinc.org.